


Zuko's Letter

by AprilLilypegasi



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Letters, Light Angst, Mentioned Ozai (Avatar), Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Zuko (Avatar)-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27948095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AprilLilypegasi/pseuds/AprilLilypegasi
Summary: Zuko writes Ozai a letter that he'll never read about his feelings towards his father.Or.It's the embodiment of those 'write a letter then burn the letter' to resolve angsty feelings advice.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Zuko's Letter

**Author's Note:**

> This will hopefully be the first of many ATLA things I write but I'm starting simple. I saw a prompt on Tumblr that I looked at and couldn't imagine anything but Zuko saying it so here: 
> 
> Prompt:   
> Write a letter that either begins or ends with this sentence:  
> I miss the person you never were.

Father, 

I miss the person you never were. I know it sounds stupid, and to you, it likely is, but it's true. Part of me still wonders, even now, if there was something, _anything_ , I could have done to make you proud of me just once. To have you regard me the same way you always have Azula ever since she started bending. 

The rest of me knows that there wasn't a single thing I could do once you decided that she was the better of the two of us. After all, she was born lucky and I was lucky to be born, right? I should have figured it out a lot sooner that you didn't want me to return, that you were setting me up to fail from the start. 

But it doesn't matter now.

We've won. You lost. As it should be. Now it's time to usher in an era of peace that you never once considered, one the world greatly deserves after years of war and bloodshed. 

It's hard and I know it will take months, maybe even years, before the world is ready to trust us again, but I refuse to rule as you did. I should have realized something was wrong when the servants feared putting even a toe out of line for fear that you'd fire them, or worse. They're our citizens too and deserve to be treated with respect and I _will_ show them that, no matter how long it takes. 

I'm not alone. Not like you said I'd be. 'No one would want you.' You'd say I'm useless and that no one would stick around once my 'purpose' is done. Well, you're wrong. I've made some of the best friends in the world in spite of you and if my past actions didn't turn them away completely, I don't think anything else could. So you're wrong. I bet that stings.

Still, I miss the person you never were. I wish we could have been a proper family, you, me, mother, and Azula. A healthy one who loved each other and stood up for each other. Maybe then I would be someone you could be proud of, the heir that you would be proud of taking over the throne once the time came. 

I have my own family now. Uncle is more of a father to me than you ever were. You who scarred your own son and then banished him without letting him heal even a day in the palace. You who gave your son an impossible task, thinking that he'd likely die due to the burn and never have a chance of succeeding if he survived. 

Family shouldn't treat each other like that and I know that now. I've known that for a while now. All you've ever brought is pain and suffering and I guess you were right that suffering was my teacher but not in the way you expected. It taught me that I'm strong and capable and that I can find my own family, one that makes me feel safe and welcomed, like you never did. 

So this is goodbye. I guess not really since you're not going to actually read this. You'd probably rip it to pieces the second it got there once you learned who wrote it, but goodbye. I wish I could say I'll miss you, but probably not (at least for the most part, that small part of me still might) 

Goodbye, father.

Zuko.

_Zuko sighs as he rolls up the parchment, holding it for a moment before summoning a flame to his hand, letting the parchment turn to ash, taking his feelings with it. He feels lighter now that he's put words to all the feelings that have been troubling him for the last week. Maybe now he's finally free from his father's influence._

_A commotion sounds from the courtyard outside his window and he goes over and peeks outside, smiling a little at seeing his friends roughhousing outside. Aang catches his eye and waves at him and Zuko waves back before turning and leaving his room, heading down to join his friends once again._


End file.
